I've had a very challenging time just trying to be myself in life. So often, people want to make you into something other than who you are, and what you want to be. There's such an extremely sick, constant effort in our supposedly "free" society that pressures people to conform to a certain media-hyped image , in order to be accepted and fit in as "normal". Our culture has become obsessed with unhealthy stereotypes and conformity, rather than truth, individuality and diversity. That needs to change.

If you'll indulge me, let's take cosmetic make-up for but one small example. There are only two groups of people in our society who really need to wear it: That would of course be MIMES and CLOWNS... So why are women made to feel they must cover their faces with makeup!...(unless of course, you're a girl mime or clown)

Obviously a little bit of make-up for an artistic, creative accent is not a problem. But many do not wear it sparingly that way, and it becomes unhealthy psychologically when you realize you cannot bear the thought of going to work, church, or even being seen in public, without 'putting on your face'. You're putting on a MASK...not your 'face'.

But many women are afraid they aren't "pretty" without that mask. Hence the expression, "I have to put my FACE on!". This has become our sick society's measure of what is "pretty". Women feel they have to compete with other women who wear makeup for the same reason. While there are still men out there who ignorantly want an artificial face on their wives or girl friends, most men I have found often say they don't like it and are attracted to women who don't wear it.

It's like when a photo is "doctored". We call that "fake " or "altered", and consider it dishonest and undesirable. I ask you then, how is "doctoring" what you naturally look like by totally covering your face with make-up ANY different. "Natural" is "truth"...and natural is a GOOD thing!

And now, it's not enough to hide behind make-up... women feel they must hide behind plastic surgery: artificial faces and breasts too. I'll never forget a local news story in Santa Barbara, California that ABC affiliate KEYT aired. They were excited to have "donated" $100,000.00 to a local school teacher for an 'extreme makeover'. (Of course it was being done in tandem with the popular ABC Network reality series "Extreme Makeover".)

The story was presented as a "warm, feel good piece" in the Santa Barbara NewsPress that showed how badly the school teacher "needed" this plastic surgery simply because...are you ready for this... the woman had some wrinkles on her face from sun exposure! The way the story made it sound, KEYT's generosity might just be what keeps the woman from committing suicide! (The intense plastic surgery kept her in a total face cast for some time and out of work for 5 weeks after several surgeries.)

OK, EVEN if I could be shallow enough to think this was a reason to pity the lady, it was only the tip of the iceboob...I mean iceberg. The article was celebrating the fact that KEYT's benevolence toward the needy teacher included BREAST AUGMENTATION! And if that wasn't sick enough, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF HER TEETH WERE BEING REPLACED!

I can't help but think about the affect this will have on the children in her classroom. When she returns, what message gets burned into their impressionable minds? I can assure you it is not a healthy one. The article proceeds to tell us this "needy" school teacher is married. But she is quoted in the article saying how happy she is that 'men smile at her now, and treat her differently...focusing more on her body.'

Let me pause for a moment and ask my male readers a question: Is THAT what we need to do to be treated nicely by you...to receive a kind smile if we make eye contact as strangers? Many women feel like it is, and they are pressured into doing these fake procedures to the point that they are now considered CHARITY CASES by even the local television news station and the Santa Barbara News Press.

Ladies, can you handle the truth? Well here it is...If a man doesn't smile at you or treat you warmly because you are showing him your natural self, he isn't worth the time of day! Thankfully, there are more and more men who are stepping up to the plate and expressing their disgust with all of this pretentious, artificial fakeness. To them I have to say...THANK YOU so much! I like country picnics, kissing and cuddling, Mark Wahlberg movies and long walks on the beach...My email is on the "Contact" page!!

Women who don't wear much, if any make-up are being honest, showing the world the beauty of what they truly look like...who they REALLY are, with no pretense or fakeness. They are taking a first step toward healing the majority of what is wrong in this world.

The reason I say it's a 'first step' is simple, and I can't stress it enough: Before we can create a peaceful, healthy world, we must first honestly be and show who we really are. We must live the example of truth in our own corner of the world. Our priorities are backward, and the false pretense of artificial 'image' allows us not to be honest to the world about who we really are. It is the daily practice of hiding who we really are.

And a large reason for the over-emphasis in our current society on artificial "image" is people's refusal to accept that everyone is EQUAL: rich or poor, black and white, "A" cup and "Double D" even! People are obsessed with trying to be "superior", to look "better", be "more attractive", rather than admit the truth that they are no more beautiful than someone with a few natural wrinkles who is teaching children critical values in school!

Our society has created a horribly unhealthy, cruel "image machine" that tries to chew you up and spit you out as early as elementary school, if you don't play it's pretentious game of conformity. yet, the truth is, you'll actually be happier if the machine spits you out. You might not realize this at first...but you will after you take a shower and you realize that while you like to laugh at mimes and clowns, you really don't want to BE one. And by the way, think about this: Men aren't expected to wear make-up (well, maybe in San Francisco). It's only expected of women to wear it.

Furthermore, I'm amazed at the huge talent pool we have in America. Practically everywhere I go, I see experienced actors, just as capable of winning an oscar as Tom Hanks or Russell Crowe. That's because the majority of people in our society are ACTING every day...they act out of desperation, almost all of the time, just to try to conform and "fit in".

Who they date, how they flirt, the way they act around co-workers, the car they drive, the fashion statement they feel not only they, but you too, HAVE to make under penalty of 'social death'... the way they walk, the way they talk, the way they put others down behind their back, but then sweet-talk the same person to their face... the way they color their hair, the plastic surgery they think they need because they think there's something wrong with the size of their (INSERT BODY PART HERE)...on and on it goes...Enough already!

It's time we sent our young people a different message...It's OK for you to BE YOURSELF! You don't have to hide who you are and what you look like. Also, not only do you not have to, but you mustn't hide how you FEEL or what you really BELIEVE about anything... You don't have to dress a certain way (It's Ok if you shop at a thrift store...matter of fact, that's MUCH more preferable than shopping at Walmart, which only destroys small businesses in every community)...

You don't have to believe a certain religious dogma or face eternity in 'Hell'. NOBODY'S GOING TO HELL, (accept child molesters...and maybe the creators of "Extreme Makeover")

We've got to heal our society and our culture with honest, healthy community values other than fake pretentiousness and unhealthy media image conformity. I have learned that this is the key ingredient for finding happiness. Understand that if you follow the pack and play the game, you are nothing more than another "sheep".

When you live your life by "playing the game", are you not living in a "prison"? Yes you are indeed (I love to answer my own questions...it makes me feel smart and then no one can accuse me of being rhetorical)

It's a prison of conformity. You certainly are not "free" when you are conforming to an artificial image instead of the real freedom of proudly showing the world the beautiful natural truth of who you really are. The more people choose to do that, the more we finally start making progress in healing this sick place. After all, isn't that why we're here in the first place? Or is our next step in the human evolutionary process becoming a PLASTIC MANNEQUIN?